Rock Island County Extension & 4-H Education Foundation received a $5,000 grant from The Amy Helpenstell Foundation which will help to initiate a high school and college volunteer corps: The University of Illinois Extension 4-H Leadership Academy Quad Cities.

Students from Quad City area colleges and high schools who are interested in developing their leadership skills and volunteering for community service are invited to participate.

4-H Educators, Diane Baker and Cheryl Geitner will provide positive youth development trainings and help guide participants into leadership opportunities that would match their interests, skills and abilities.

he benefits of becoming a member of the Leadership Academy is that members would gain valuable real-world experiences in youth education, public speaking, leadership, marketing, and citizenship. They would be expected to give back 30 hours of service - volunteering 15 hours with 4-H approved activities, 10 hours at various community agencies, and 5 hours in their own school, neighborhood, church or family.

Academy members who complete their hours would receive the opportunity to compete for one of 10 $200 scholarships which they could apply toward their academic studies.

They would also have the opportunity to attend, at no cost, the Illini Leadership Academy at University of Illinois in June 2013. The 3-day Academy provides participant's opportunities to study potential careers and build their leadership skills as they actively participate in 15-hours of interactive classroom and lab activities organized by University of Illinois faculty and staff in their chosen Academy area.

This approach will help meet the needs of providing 4-H educational programs while building leadership skills in young adult volunteers.

For more information on how you can become a member of the University of Illinois Extension 4-H Leadership Academy, call Diane or Cheryl at (309) 756-9978 or online at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/hmrs.